L.A. Galaxy starting goalkeeper Josh Saunders, who rose from minor league journeyman to MLS Cup champion, will be sidelined indefinitely while being treated for substance abuse, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

Saunders, 31, did not play in L.A.’s 1-1 tie against FC Dallas on Saturday but wasn’t listed on the club’s injury report. According to the Times, the Galaxy were informed last Friday that Saunders would be unavailable for action until he completed a treatment program.

Club officials told the paper on Tuesday that Saunders did not fail an MLS-administered drug test, while coach Bruce Arena said the player will miss Wednesday night’s game at the Seattle Sounders for “personal reasons”.

Bill Gaudette, who signed with the Galaxy in February after spending a year with the Montreal Impact, played against Dallas and is expected to be in net on Wednesday in Seattle.

Saunders was the Cinderella story on a Galaxy club anchored by big-name stars. The Oregon native failed to stick with the San Jose Earthquakes after the 2003 MLS draft and spent the next six years bouncing around pro soccer’s second division, from nearby Portland to Miami and Puerto Rico.

Saunders signed with L.A. in 2009 and backed up Jamaican national team netminder Donovan Ricketts. He got his first big break when Ricketts was injured during the ’09 MLS Cup final. Saunders held Real Salt Lake scoreless for nearly an hour then saved two penalty kicks during the ensuing shootout, impressing even as the Galaxy fell short.

When Ricketts broke his arm last June, Saunders stepped in again and never looked back. He posted eight regular season shutouts and two more in the playoffs as L.A. claimed its third MLS Cup title.

Following the 2011 season Ricketts was traded to Montreal, which was preparing for its first season in MLS.

The news is yet another blow for the champs, whose defense already has suffered in the absence of injured center back Omar Gonzalez (knee). L.A. posted the third-lowest goals against average (0.82) in MLS history last year but got off to a rocky start in 2012, yielding 11 goals in the first seven regular season matches and another four to Toronto FC in the stunning CONCACAF Champions League defeat back in March. The Galaxy are in seventh place in the Western Conference at 3-3-1.

Now, Saunders will be out for an extended period as well.

Last June, MLS suspended Columbus Crew defender Josh Williams for 10 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance found in an over-the-counter supplement. Williams remained in Columbus and has played four games this season.

In 2010, New England Revolution captain Shalrie Joseph took a six-week leave of absence after testing positive for marijuana. He missed five games, and upon returning told the Boston Herald, “I made a bad decision to smoke marijuana. I got caught, and they sent me to drug-rehab treatment.”

MLS had not announced any disciplinary action against Saunders as of Tuesday evening.